NMR Spectroscopy – as we’re all probably familiar with – is typically performed on samples dissolved in deuterated solvents held in static NMR tubes – typically 5 mm (but 3 mm and 7 mm are not uncommon either).

However – this doesn’t necessarily NEED to be the case. What if you’re:

1) using HPLC – or some other separation technique – and want to connect the NMR with the fractions in real time as they come off the column?

2) running a reaction and instead of stopping it, quenching an aliquot, preparing an NMR sample, booking NMR time, and then collecting a spectrum, you could just pump some of the reaction mixture out of your reaction flask, through the NMR, collect the data and then pump it back into the bulk reaction without ever handling the sample directly (or wasting any of your precious product)??

3) using a micro-reactor and want an automated process to regulate temperature and/or pressure within the vessel without breaching the closed system?

Why, you would run flow-through NMR….OF COURSE! I’ve previously talked about the logistics to this technique in a hyphenated technique blog entry. This is the no-fuss-no-proverbial-muss technique! I alluded to the fact that the NMReady was designed with inline techniques in mind (read, the magnet is accessible from both the top AND the bottom of the instrument).